The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-08
his hand, and awaited the overcoming
monsteri
CHAPTER TX

Inc Spruce-buSheS parted suddenly
but, instead of disclosing the form of {
ferocious bear, nothing more formida
bic than the good-humored features Of
Joe Whitney, adorned with an ex
pressiye grin, was revealed. There
were traces of recent tears on his
freckled face; yet mirth beamed from
his eye, and it was evident that the re.
cent punishment had not had a very
depressing effect on his animal spirits.
Thought was a bear, didn't you,
Tad?" he remarked, laughing. And
Tad, too much relieved ut the prospect
of companionship to feel very angry,
answered, with feeble smile, that he
.cas kind of startled, and made haste
to change the subject.
1--WE got seven trout, but they're aw-
full SMALL" said Tad, producing his
catch, with a rather disconsolate air.
Joe started, whistled and then
roared.
"Why, you goosier' he shouted, but
so good-naturedly that it was impos-
sible to be angry with him, 'those
amt trout-they're chubs"
Poor Tad felt tremendously morti-
fed, but speedily forgot his NORTH
cation in real honest admiration of a
string of trout-the largest of which
would not weigh quite a quarter of a
pound-that Joe brought out, together
with an alder pole, from the thicket
where he had enacted the bear.
81 dug some bait on the way, and
caught these little fellows coming
along" explained Joe, as he held them
up before his companions admiring
gaze.
"Oh, s0ouzdnt 1 like to catch just
one trout!' sighed Tad; and Joe
stoutly assured him not to worry-he'd
put him up to catching more than one
perhaps half dozen-before they
returned.
''Did it hurt you rery much?" in
quired Tad, presently, with delicate
reference to the cause of his compan-
ions detention.
1.-The pasteboard wasn't quite low
down enough" said Joe, mournfully,
and Tad asked no further questions.
Father didn't ffcg me for just hav-
ing little fun with you and Miss
Smith," Joe went on sitter short
pause, "but because he said as good
as lied when 1 made her think that
you was deaf, and you think that she
was"
We'll" returned Tad, hesitatingly,
Il don't know-you didn't mean to say
what wasn't true, any way"
NO" said Joe, frankly; 81 didn't! /
hate a square up and down lie as bad
as the next one; but, come to study on
it over, guess we fellows don't stop to
think long enough, sometimes, and lie
when we don't mean to; anyhow, 1 do,
and I'm going to try and stop it."
was quite an admission for Joe,
who was generally very chary of ac-
knowledging his faults. But he had
begun to feel strong boyish affection
for his companion, and spoke moro
openly to him than he was in the habit
OF doing.
''But what made you so long getting
here?" asked Tad, breaking the little
silence that followed.
"Why, after father-got through
with me-" returned Joe. while hu-
morous smile began to hover about his
mouth, "he set Lie churning, and went
off down town on an errand. Mother,
she was sent for to 60 over to Mis-
Emory's, all of a sudden, and, by gra-
cious!' said Joe, rubbing his Shout
ders, Il thought my arms would just
out of the sockets before the
butter came. Well, Nell, she took the
butter down into the cellar kitchen to
work it, and forgot to empt' the churn
Gas mother always does), and whilst
she was down there" continued Joe,
whose smile had begun to broaden, 81
saw father coming up the walk, so what
does l do but get hold of the churn-
dasher again. Father. he came in.
There, my SON. he says, 1 guess
you've been punished enough-you can
90 now,' and then he took the churn-
dasher right out of my hand. If moth
er hasn't got back, or if Nell don't
come upstairs" added Joe, with an
smoker, 81 expect likely
he's churning buttermilk now"
As Tad knew rather less than Hot
tentot regarding the mysteries of churn-
ing, the point of Joe's little joke was
not perfectly clear to his own mind.
And perhaps, on second thought, Joe
might have remembered that the tacit
deception practiced toward his father
was not exactly in keeping with his pro-
fessed penitence of moment or two
previous, for he made no attempt to
enlighten his companion, but, taking
up his pole, said, rather hastily, that
he guessed they'd better be getting to-
ward home, as it was considerably
past dinner-time.
About halfway down Mill brook
were the ruins of an old saw-mill.
Here, among the great timbers below
the dam, the water made deep eddies
and shady hooks, where trout love to
lie in the heat of the day.
Throw in there, Tad" said Joe,
pointing to a spot where the dark water
rushed around the end of the broken
flume like mill-race.
Tad secretly thought that any trout
enough to trust himself in
such a swift current would be swept
down stream in a twinkling. But he
obeyed, and